“I could say that my work is deliberate but not forced, that it sometimes nods to the sublime, that I’m drawn to the tension between beauty and darkness – but all that could just as easily be a description of Romanticism.” We talked with Jessie Craig – about her work and the difference between female and male photographers.

Hello Jessie, tell us a little bit about you!
I’m a 24 year old photographer and I live in London, UK. I grew up in Canada.

You are known as photographer and you’ve worked with great, international models and famous magazines as I can see… how do you dive into this ‘job’?
I learned how to shoot with an SLR and develop film when I was about 15 years old, in weekend classes at a local art school. I had been taking painting classes there and I decided it was time to try something new. I found it so gratifying I started spending all my free time in the darkroom learning everything I could. When it came time for university I went to OCAD for a four year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, majoring in photography. Graduation was in May or June and by September I had moved to Paris. I didn’t know a single person when I arrived but I was determined to make a career for myself. From the first time I picked up a camera, I’ve been very fortunate that so many people along the way have been supportive and believed in my ability.

Many photographers take images of nature, landscape, architecture and so on… why have you chosen fashion?
At this stage most of my work is in fashion because it’s what I’m drawn to in terms of the creative process. Generally speaking fashion is about building something out of your imagination and it is allowed and encouraged to have a personal touch, whereas there’s an expectation with photojournalistic jobs to capture an unconstructed moment outside of yourself.

Tell us about your first “big” shooting – how was it and how did it feel?
My first shoot that was published in print was a big deal to me. We were shooting the S/S collections on location all over Paris. It wasn’t so much fun, because I spent most of the day worried about the model in the cold and rain. I was in a fur coat, she was in a tiny dress! I felt really badly about it. Normally my shoots are a lot more enjoyable and the day flies by.

If you were to describe your work to a blind person – what would you say?
If I were able to adequately describe my work in words I would have become an critic instead of a photographer.

“I shoot what I’m not able to fully verbalize.”

I could say that my work is deliberate but not forced, that it sometimes nods to the sublime, that I’m drawn to the tension between beauty and darkness – but all that could just as easily be a description of Romanticism.

When we click through your website, we can see, that most of the sets are outside or on location. Do you like to work “outside” – and not in the studio with a white wall as background? Where is the difference?
I enjoy working in studio, but for the past two years if there’s been the option of location it has nearly always won out. It gives the images a layer of context and expands the narrative. How many movies have you seen that take place entirely in front of a white wall? Not to mention that on an experiential level it’s a lot more satisfying to spend the day in the woods or on the beach than cooped up inside!

Where do you find your inspirations? Do you make tests before the final shooting or just start with it?
I’ve said in the past that my inspiration comes from dreams, memories, books, paintings, films – and I’ll stick to that. I only do tests before the final shooting if there’s a particularly technical aspect that I need to work out, which tends to be a rarity.

How long do you work usually on a photoset? A few hours, days or weeks? And how many people are involved?
On average my shoots are a day – usually shorter if it’s an actor or musician, sometimes longer if it’s a project with many subjects. I try to keep the number of people on set down to keep things intimate, but from beginning to end there are a lot of people involved in one way or another. There can be stylists, editors, art directors, hair & makeup artists, agents, models…

You are a woman – and your images are very smooth, beautiful, sensitive, but also sexy. What does a model need in your eyes and where do you look in the first moment, when you see the model? Do you think the work between a woman and woman in fashion-photography has another kind of form – or is there no difference to a woman subject and man as photographer?
I have a big bulletin board where I’ve pinned comp cards of models I’d like to work with this season, and none of them look particularly alike. Vague as it sounds, what ties them together is that they all have faces that are interesting and memorable to me. As for whether there’s a difference between female and male fashion photographers: I’d say that every person has an array of factors in their life which affects their point of view and we are all touched by the social constructs of gender. Perhaps I am better equipped to empathize with female subjects, but I feel it is the responsibility of a photographer – male or female – to always have a respectful approach.

And what kind of equipment are you using?
The last few years I’ve been using Canon digital SLRs and Photoshop.

The good old discussion-point – digital photography. Is this a good way – more fight generates better quality – or does it change photography in a bad way?
That’s like pondering whether teaching the masses to read and write changes literature for the worse. Enjoying and participating in the arts shouldn’t be an exclusive privilege.

The impossible dream – if we take away the realistic part in our daily life here, what kind of shooting would you try to realize?
If we’re going fully hypothetical with this question, I’d like to go back in time and do a shoot with my grandmother. She was one of those women who embodied glamour. There’s so much I wish I could talk to her about now that I’m an adult.

The last questions – on what project or shoot are you working now? And what can we expect from you in the next few years?
I shot a 14 year old actress recently named Ella Purnell, who plays a young Keira Knightley in ‘Never Let Me Go’. In the next few years, I hope to continue to grow and develop creatively. I have a lot to explore with my work that I haven’t yet. Something tells me that if you ask me that question in thirty years I’ll have the same answer…

Jessie, thanks a lot for your time!

Website: www.jessiecraig.com

Interview by Emanuel Sprosec